🚀 SpaceOrbitals

What this publication covers

SpaceOrbitals covers the launch industry, the space economy, planetary science, and hobbyist space gear. The publication has four content streams: articles (long-form analysis and explainers, typically 1,500-2,500 words), news (shorter pieces on launches, deals, regulatory moves, and science findings, typically 400-1,200 words), reviews (gear and equipment reviews based on hands-on use, typically 1,500-3,000 words), and gear (buying guides and gear explainers, typically 800-2,000 words). All four streams publish under the editorial standards documented on the about page.

Readers looking for analysis of recent launches and industry moves should start with the Orbital Daily Tracker newsletter (subscribed to via the homepage signup) or the news stream. Readers looking for deep technical pieces on orbital mechanics, mission design, or planetary science should start with the articles stream. Readers looking for telescope and astrophotography equipment guidance should start with the gear and reviews streams.

How to use the site

The homepage features the most recent pieces across all four streams. Each stream has its own index page (/articles/, /news/, /reviews/, /gear/) where pieces are organized by date and topic. The Orbital Daily Tracker newsletter (subscribed to via the homepage form) is the primary publication cadence for news and analysis; the newsletter is published every weekday morning and contains the day's launch calendar, the most important news items, and a long-form analysis section that rotates through the four editorial beats.

Authors are documented on the authors page with areas of expertise, disclosures, and links to all pieces they have written. Each author page includes a disclosure of the author's actual background — self-taught, formal coursework, hobbyist practice, or independent research — and the areas where they have hands-on experience versus the areas where they are reporting from reading and interviews. None of the authors hold industry positions in aerospace.

Editorial standards

Every published piece goes through a three-step review process: drafting by the assigned editor, technical or editorial review by a second desk member, and a final pass by the editor-in-chief before publication. We do not publish pieces we have not fact-checked against primary sources — NASA blog posts, FCC filings, peer-reviewed papers, mission press kits, manufacturer spec sheets, or direct statements from named engineers. Where a claim is made about a specific number (a launch cost, a payload mass, a star count, a telescope spec), the source is cited inline.

We disclose expertise transparently. If a piece is written by an author without direct industry experience in the specific area being covered, that is noted at the top of the piece. If a piece is based on interviews with named sources, those sources are credited with their affiliation. If a piece includes an opinion or thesis, the reasoning is stated explicitly and the risk to the view is named.

Contact

Tips, corrections, and general inquiries: [email protected]. Press and partnerships: [email protected] with "press" in the subject line. We are not currently accepting guest posts, sponsored content, or paid placements. Corrections: if you spot a factual error, please email [email protected]; verified corrections are appended to the bottom of the affected article with a dated correction note.